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Japanese Culture in Elfen Lied
A single comprehensive article about Japanese culture would of course be unworkable, even for a Wiki devoted to that subject. In this article, instances in the manga and anime that are important and show off both cultures' differing approaches on many matters. Concern for family privacy A common element to both the manga and the anime is an early scene wherein Kouta and Yuka decide to take the naked horned girl, who we know to be Lucy, home rather than call the police. At first glance, this seems merely to drive the plot, since turning Lucy over would not lead to so much of what we saw happen. Yet rather than a mere gift to the plot, this incident can be seen in the light of the culture surrounding them. The two friends/cousins know nothing of who this girl is. Putting aside her real identity, she could have been a high school girl who went on a boat with friends and got drunk, the horns the result of a prank. If this or anything like it had been so, and Kaede had a real family, it would have brought them some embarassment for having a daughter in such a state. Having it known to the public would only make it worse. While nothing in the series confirms this hypothesis, it is entirely possible that Kouta and Yuka were hoping to get this girl to her family quietly and without worries of others learning their business. 'School and location' Kamakura's town University is the rough equivalent of a 'community college' in the United States, a so-called 'safety school' for those students who still want a college degree but lack the skills and motivation for one of Japan's top universities. Kouta, perhaps owing to the enormous disruption in his life caused by his family's murder, finds himself attending this school despite signs earlier in life that he could do better. Yuka's choice to forego a better school for Kouta's sake is actually an enormous indicator of her affection for him, since she is likely sacrificing a job with real earnings potential and respect. Despite her status as the series' first victim and near-memetic reputation as a complete klutz, Kurama's secretary Kisaragi was a graduate of Tokyo University, called the Harvard of Japan. Mayu's transfer to a new school is actually something that happens all the time in Japan, as students seek the advantages of the reputation of this or that school in a discipline of their choice, and staying with relatives or friends nearby the better school is quite common, perhaps moreso in Japan than any other modern country on Earth. What renders Mayu's circumstance uncommon, beyond the sad circumstances of her original home life, was the speed with which Mayu's mother in essence surrendered custody of her daughter to total strangers. Usually, even if the people a child is sent to live with are not directly known to the parents, they are known to close friends or family members, well enough that these third parties may vouch for their character. That Mayu's mother did this told Kouta and Yuka quite a bit about the reticent girl's ugly past. 'Senpai and Kohai' Broadly defined, this is a mentoring system between two people, one slightly older than the other, but the devotion between the two often exceeds mere familal connections, and while a great deal more informal than other such relationships, is often one of the most enduring and reliable. It is a relationship not unknown in Western culture; the 'batmen' who served British officers around the world and during the First World War are probably the best example, often known to lay down their lives out of personal affection and respect, with the officers making certain that their former batmen were cared for properly all their days. These batmen and their service were the direct inspiration for the relationship between Frodo and Samwise in JRR Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings. So it is for the people in such a relationship in Japan, only the service is after a time mutual and never ceases. It is worth noting that Love Hina's Shinobu never once referred to her crush Keitaro as anything but 'Senpai' (or Sempai, depending on translation). The two words simply mean Senior and Junior, respectively, but like many words in many cultures, their literal meaning is dwarfed by their meaning as practiced. In Elfen Lied, there are at least two good examples, one a more traditional set-up between two school students, the other between the employer and the employed. At some point during her high school years, Yuka becomes responsible for fellow younger student Nozomi. This might have started out as nothing more than a simple request by a senior teacher that Yuka watch out for the nervous younger girl, or Yuka, perhaps seeking responsibilities that took her mind off of the long-absent Kouta, took this upon herself. Although Yuka's residence at Maple House became in effect a place where she could defy her father's wishes, the outlet this gave her and the new strength inspired by Yuka and her other friends may have finally enabled Nozomi to begin to repair her relationship with her father, strained by years of his excessive efforts to protect her after the loss of her mother. Though not classically Senpai/Kohai, the relationship between Kurama and Kisaragi shares many things with this idea, and the devotion between them, while platonic, was genuine and based on mutual support. Kurama was not the ideal boss, and Kisaragi far from being the ideal assistant. But their loyalty to one another is clearly within this broad notion. Her death, though it occurs at the beginning of the series, is the next to last step in Kurama's unmooring from the Kakuzawas, and her loyalty and affection is remembered, as hers is a picture kept next to that of his own wife. She is one of four women in his life willing to look past the hard exterior he puts forward, all but Nana are taken from him by the Diclonius situation. Kisaragi was again not the best secretary, but for him, she wished to be, and that was all he asked of her. Yet sadly, it is an unneeded comment to the newly captive Lucy that likely seals her fate even as the series begins. Shirakawa attempted to fill Kisaragi's role, but her mixed feelings plus her secret mission perhaps made this difficult, and her feelings were of a much more romantic nature. While romance would hardly be excluded from Senpai and Kohai, its depiction in manga and anime seems to stay more with a deeply affectionate platonic friendship. It is said that often, throughout their lifetimes, the pair may ask almost anything of the other and expect it to be acted upon. In addition, a senpai's own senpai is to be respected just as much, leading to an almost separate family structure. Sadly in Elfen Lied, few relationships endure quite long enough to truly see this through. Category:Real Lied